Premedical and Health Studies

NYU Abi Dhabi's Premedical and Health Studies program fully prepares students to apply to medical and other professional schools in the health field. The health professions provide many challenging and rewarding opportunities. These include clinical careers in medicine, dentistry, and physical therapy as well as non-clinical careers such as health education and research.

In order to apply to health-related professional schools, students typically need to complete courses in introductory biology, chemistry, and physics. At NYUAD, these subjects comprise Foundations of Science, which is a rigorous three-semester, integrated course that covers the fundamentals of basic science. NYUAD transcripts clearly note biology, chemistry, and physics as distinct parts of Foundations of Science. In addition to introductory science courses, professional medical or health schools often require two semesters of math, one of which must be calculus, two semesters of organic chemistry, and two semesters of English, including writing. NYUAD offers all these. Students are encouraged to gain some practical experience by volunteering in a clinical setting and to demonstrate a commitment to service and humanistic endeavors.

It is important to understand that pre-professional training does not require students to major in science or math. Students may elect to major in any discipline and complete the Premedical and Health Studies program in parallel. You should choose a disciplinary major that you will enjoy and in which you will excel. If you enjoy the sciences, choosing a major in those areas is the right decision for you. If, however, you have other interests or talents, you will demonstrate your versatility and increase your chances of excelling by pursuing a major in the humanities or social sciences along with the prehealth curriculum.

NYUAD, like many American colleges and universities, does not offer a premedical, predental, or prehealth major. In fact, the best professional schools want, above all, students with a broad education who can think clearly, read critically, and write well.

Your faculty mentor and pre-professional advisors will help you to explore your options, advise you about programs and appropriate course selection, and help you to present the best possible application to professional schools. Students should be aware that it is extremely difficult for applicants who are not US citizens or permanent US residents to gain admission to medical school in the United States. Other health professional schools in the US have more hospitable admissions policies, such as schools of dentistry and M.D./Ph.D. programs. For information about professional health programs in countries other than the US, students should consult a pre-professional mentor.

The following are the basic set requirements most medical schools in the United States request; however, specific medical schools might have additional requirements or modifications to those listed here. Students should consult with the premedical advisor for more information.

Suggested Courses for Application to Medical School

Foundations of Science 1-6
(Note: This covers the pre-med requirements of one year of general biology, one year of general chemistry, one year of general physics, and one year of lab work in each of those areas.)

Organic Chemistry 1 and 2

Calculus or Calculus with Applications

One semester of Writing and one additional semester of Literature

Organismal Biology is highly recommended as are Biochemistry 1 and 2, and Probability and Statistics.

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The array of organisms that populates the globe is astounding in its diversity and adaptability. This course uses fundamental concepts from the Foundations of Science curriculum to examine essential elements of physiology, with a particular emphasis on humans and disease. This course develops an understanding of the relationship between structure and function of the organism; how structure develops through evolutionary and developmental processes; and how structure is related to the environment surrounding the organism.

Organic Chemistry 1 is an undergraduate introductory organic chemistry course that uses an interactive, problems-based approach to study the structure and bonding of organic materials, conformational analysis, stereochemistry and spectroscopy, topics that partly trace their roots to the development of quantum theory. The topics covered include basic reaction mechanisms, such as substitution and elimination, and the reactions of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds, and carboxylic acids. The course incorporates modern analytical methods that are the cornerstone of contemporary organic chemistry.

Students in the NYUNY Chemistry Dept: This course is equivalent to CHEM-UA 225 Organic Chemistry I and Lab; CHEM-UA 227 Majors Organic Chemistry I and Lab; CHEM-UA 9243-9245 Organic Chemistry I and Lab (London)

This course is the second semester of a comprehensive and rigorous survey of aliphatic and aromatic organic chemistry, with particular emphasis on reactions from both a synthetic as well as a mechanistic viewpoint. The topics include: conjugated systems, aromatic compounds, including phenols and aryl halides as well as a thorough discussion of delocalized chemical bonding; aldehydes and ketones; amines; carboxylic acids and their derivatives; lipids such as fatty acids and triglycerides; and carbohydrates. The course is a continuation of Organic Chemistry 1 with an emphasis on multifunctional organic compounds, including topics of relevance to biochemistry and biological systems, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, peptides, and nucleic acids. The course continues the emphasis on modern analytical methods that are the cornerstone of contemporary organic analysis, with added emphasis on their application to biology and biological chemistry.

Biochemistry investigates the chemical structures, reactions and processes that occur in living systems. Indeed, the very principles of chemistry, biology, physics and math converge in the field of biochemistry, and biochemical concepts provide a focal point for many disciplines, including biology, healthcare, the pharmaceutical industry, environmental studies and ecology, and our understanding of evolution. This course opens the study of biochemistry, which continues in Biochemistry 2 with a rigorous investigation of biological macromolecules, including the structure and function of proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids. This then leads to the investigation of enzyme structure, including their mechanism of action and their regulation, moving toward a deep understanding of information flow in cells via detailed biochemical studies of replication, transcription, and translation.

Students in the NYUNY Chemistry Dept: This course is equivalent toChem-UA 881 Biochemistry I.

Building on the lessons ofBiochemistry 1, this course emphasizes analysis of basic metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, electron transport, and oxidative phosphorylation, as well as mechanisms of metabolic regulation and integration.

This course presents the foundations of calculus by examining functions and their derivatives and integrals, with an emphasis on proofs and theorems and an introduction to basic mathematical analysis. While the derivative measures the instantaneous rate of change of a function, the definite integral measures the total accumulation of a function over an interval. Indeed, the relationship between differentiation (finding a derivative) and integration (determining an integral) is described in the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. In addition to two weekly lectures, students attend a weekly discussion section that provides opportunities for rigorous analysis of proofs and theorems associated with the material. This course is primarily intended for students considering Mathematics as a major or for students who seek an in-depth understanding of the arguments that support calculus. Placement into Calculus is decided by discussion with mentors and the results of a mathematics placement examination. With permission of the program in mathematics, Calculus with Applications may substitute for Calculus.

This is a required course for Economics majors until the class of 2017.

Students in the NYUNY Mathematics Dept: This course is equivalent to MATH-UA 121 Calculus I

This course presents the foundations of calculus by examining functions and their derivatives and integrals with a special emphasis placed on the utilitarian nature of the subject material. Applications to natural science, engineering, and the social sciences, particularly economics, are emphasized. Since the derivative measures the instantaneous rate of change of a function and the definite integral measures the total accumulation of a function over an interval, these two ideas form the basis for nearly all mathematical formulas in science, engineering, economics, and other fields. This course also provides instruction in how to model situations in order to solve problems. Applications include graphing, and maximizing and minimizing functions. In addition to two weekly lectures, students attend a weekly discussion section focused on applications of calculus in science, engineering, or social science, depending on their primary interest. Placement into Calculus with Applications is decided by discussion with mentors and the results of a mathematics placement examination.

May not be taken if MATH-AD 110 Calculus is completed

This is a required course for Economics majors until the class of 2017. This course can be substituted with MATH-AD 110 Calculus.

Please note: During Summer 2014, classes will be held on Thursday May 22 and Saturday May 24, and then on Sunday through Thursday from May 28-June 19. Exams will be held on Saturday May 21.

This course comprises a combination of the theory of probability and the mathematical foundations with techniques of modern statistical analysis. It is designed to acquaint the student with both probability and statistics in the context of their applications to the sciences. In probability: mathematical treatment of chance; combinatorics; binomial, Poisson, and Gaussian distributions; law of large numbers and the normal distribution; application to coin-tossing, radioactive decay, and so on. In statistics: sampling; normal and other useful distributions; testing of hypotheses; confidence intervals; correlation and regression; and applications to scientific, industrial, and financial data.

Students in the NYUNY Mathematics Dept: This course is equivalent to MATH-UA 235 Probability and Statistics.

Foundations of Science 1: Energy and Matterprovides a comprehensive introduction to these two fundamental concepts that are so famously unified in the equality E=mc2. Following an introduction to the physical sciences, the course focuses on velocity, acceleration, forces, and energy, while simultaneously introducing students to atoms and molecules. Chemical reactions are examined, and the energy changes associated with them are investigated via a thorough analysis of the three laws of thermodynamics. Laboratory exercises focus on the guiding principles of the scientific method and an introduction to experimental design, and scientific presentation, including technical writing. Weekly discussion sections are designed to hone proficiency at solving problems in a collaborative, team environment.

Foundations of Science 2: Forces and Interactions introduces students to fundamental forces, including gravity and electrical forces. Concurrently, atomic theory, the theory of molecular bonding, and atomic and molecular structures and shapes, in which forces and energy play a role, are investigated. Students apply these concepts to understanding molecules related to the life sciences. Laboratory exercises focus on acquisition of data and analysis with a continued emphasis on technical presentation. Weekly discussion sections are designed to hone proficiency at solving problems in a collaborative, team environment.

focuses on changes in systems in the physical and living worlds. Capacitors, current, and basic circuits are explored with an eye toward understanding their applications to chemical reactions and the behavior of living cells. The rates and directions of chemical reactions are explored as chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium are investigated with a special focus on acid-base chemistry. These fundamental physical and chemical principles are used to describe basic cellular monomers and polymers including DNA, RNA, and protein, and the sequence of events that leads to information flow and its regulation in the cell nucleus. They are also applied to macroscopic systems found in the biosphere. Laboratory exercises focus on fundamental protocols and tools needed to sharpen basic laboratory skills. Weekly discussion sections are designed to hone proficiency at solving problems in a collaborative, team environment.

Foundations of Science 4: Form and Function explores a question applicable to all branches of science: How does the form or shape of a physical entity set its function? This leads to another question: If a specific function is desired, can a form or shape be engineered or modified to execute or improve that function? The course examines the form/function concept in magnetic and electrical fields, the behavior and design of small molecules, and the activity of proteins as the workhorse in biological systems. Laboratory exercises require students to design experiments related to crystals and crystallography, and to examine chemical forms at the macroscopic and microscopic levels. Weekly discussion sections are designed to hone proficiency at solving problems in a collaborative, team environment.

Foundations of Science 5: Propagating Change focuses on disturbances in physical and living systems that bring about change. In physics, disturbances generate waves that are associated with the transmission of light and sound. These same waves generate responses in living organisms as sensory systems detect them, including nerves in some species. Electromagnetic waves, interactions among light, matter, and living systems are examined. Change during the growth of cells is explored at the molecular level as well. Laboratory exercises fuse physics, chemistry, and biology as students engage in projects related to recombinant DNA technology, gene cloning, and protein synthesis and characterization.

Foundations of Science 6: Oscillations and Uncertainties examines how repetitious or cyclical events, although presumably predictable, are associated with inherent uncertainty in their outcomes. This is embodied in physics and chemistry in quantum theory and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. But living systems provide countless examples of oscillatory events that possess inherent uncertainty when scientists try to predict outcomes. Indeed, this final chapter in Foundations of Science challenges students to consider the very nature of studying complex problems and systems and assessing the uncertainty associated with the scientific method. The laboratory exercises involve collaborative projects in which teams of students must apply their acquired knowledge and skills to design experiments focused on answering a question or solving a problem, keeping uncertainty in mind as they report their results and discuss additional data that would be need to provide a better answer or solution.

This course introduces students to the use of statistical methods in social and behavioral science research. Topics include: descriptive statistics; introduction to probability; sampling; statistical inference concerning means, standard deviations, and proportions; correlation; analysis of variance; linear regression, including multiple regression analysis. Applications to empirical situations in the social sciences are an integral part of the course.

*This course can be substituted with SOCSC-AD 113 Statistics and Probability for the Social Sciences.